SVB's Mosconi Facebook post

jay helfert said:

You want to get better? Then go play in all the international tournaments you can! Guys like Dechaine, Skyler, Bergman and a couple of others should and could have been doing that for the last few years. Sponsorship (backers) were available if necessary. That is the one way that some of our best players could improve their games, getting in the heat of competition with the world's best. So far only Shane among our top players has consistently traveled to all the major tournaments worldwide. A couple of our lower ranled players have played abroad with mixed results, but even they improved their games by doing so.

Being in tough competition is imo much better than getting lessons or "training" somewhere. Shane dominates in the USA and it's not surprising why. Take a look at the roster of players in New York. It looks like almost all foreign players and only a couple of top Americans cared enough to play. Yes, I know it's expensive to travel to New York but where there's a will there's a way.

I look for another beat down in the MC this year. It should get high ratings in Europe. They love to see the Americans get their asses kicked!

Click to expand...

MattPoland said:

I think it’s a matter of opportunity cost. I can see Sky thinking, “Cool there’s 5 weeks of cheap vacation” and Shane thinking “I can’t be away from my side businesses, family and fishing that long. It’s probably not a matter of adding up but rather what else they have going on.


Respectfully, Matt
(I don’t take myself too seriously. I hope you can return the favor.)

Click to expand...

lorider said:

Svb or dechaine is not on the list... Sounds like another losing year coming up.

Click to expand...

BRussell said:

The Matchroom statement doesn’t quite come out and say that only the players on this list can be on the final team.

Click to expand...

lorider said:

Svb or dechaine is not on the list... Sounds like another losing year coming up.

Click to expand...

sjm said:

The omission of Shane Van Boening is very disheartening but understandable, not shocking given his decision to opt out of the intended boot camp training.

Similarly, the omission of Mike Dechaine, one of America's three best along with Justin Bergman and Shane Van Boening, is understandable in view of the fact that Mike is semi-retired from competition. Yes, on the occasions that Mike competes he still shows very strong form, but that shouldn't be enough. Finally, Mike has a job now, and he would be highly unlikely to commit to attending the boot camp.

I'd call the inclusion of Hatch on the list as a surprise, given his disgraceful and unprofessional behavior in the last Mosconi Cup when he refused to shake Filler's hand after their match, even after Johann came inside the playing area to try to fix it. Hatch's inclusion on the list forces me to laugh at Johann's statement "We know what we are looking for in a player that represents the United States in the Mosconi Cup; professionalism, maximum commitment and focus, and a good team-spirited mentality." None of this means Hatch, a very fine and skillful player, won't be selected, but it appears that the stated criteria for selection are nonsense of the highest order.

I am delighted to see Josh Roberts' name on the list. Josh is sometimes under the radar, but he's a very good player in the clutch. I am further pleased to see young dynamos like Tyler Styer and Chris Robinson on the list of those being considered, but find it unlikely that either will show the kind of form in 2018 that will merit serious consideration. That said, the omission of Jeremy Sossei, owner of two different bronze medals in the Derby City 9-ball event, and the guy who beat and eliminated Klenti Kaci in the Ocean States Championhship, is disappointing.

If Johann repeats the 2017 mistake of not picking Justin Bergman, Team USA will go to bat without all three of its top players, and Matchroom will certainly not have an event that pits the best of America against the best of Europe. Strangely enough, Matchroom will still find a way to make it a great event, because they always do!

Click to expand...